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The Kings of Cool
- A Prequel to 'Savages'
- Narrated by: Holter Graham
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
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The Kings of Cool
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City on Fire
- A Novel
- Written by: Don Winslow
- Narrated by: Ari Fliakos
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 82
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 72
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 71
Two criminal empires together control all of New England. Until a beautiful woman comes between the Irish and the Italians, launching a war that will see them kill each other, destroy an alliance, and set a city on fire. Danny Ryan yearns for a more “legit” life and a place in the sun. But as the bloody conflict stacks body on body and brother turns against brother, Danny has to rise above himself.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Ok
- By Lisa on 2023-07-09
Written by: Don Winslow
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The Power of the Dog
- Written by: Don Winslow
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 20 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 125
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 112
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This explosive novel of the drug trade takes you deep inside a world riddled with corruption, betrayal, and bloody revenge. From the streets of New York City to Mexico City and Tijuana to the jungles of Central America, this is the war on drugs like you've never seen it.
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5 out of 5 stars
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not great
- By Bob Carron on 2019-05-30
Written by: Don Winslow
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The Winter of Frankie Machine
- Written by: Don Winslow
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 35
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 31
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 31
Frank Machianno is a late-middle-aged ex-surf bum who runs a bait shack on the San Diego waterfront. An affable Italian with a love of people and life, he's a stand-up businessman, devoted father, and a beloved fixture in the community. He's also a hit man - specifically, a retired hit man. Back in the day when he was one of the most feared members of the West Coast Mafia, he was known as Frankie Machine.
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5 out of 5 stars
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My favorite Don Winslow book so far!
- By Gregory Smart on 2023-02-22
Written by: Don Winslow
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Broken
- Written by: Don Winslow
- Narrated by: Ray Porter, Kaleo Griffith
- Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 47
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 41
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 40
In six intense short novels connected by the themes of crime, corruption, vengeance, justice, loss, betrayal, guilt, and redemption, Broken is number-one international best seller Don Winslow at his nerve-shattering, heart-stopping, heartbreaking best. In Broken, he creates a world of high-level thieves and low-life crooks, obsessed cops struggling with life on and off the job, private detectives, dope dealers, bounty hunters, and fugitives, the lost souls driving without headlights through the dark night on the American criminal highway.
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2 out of 5 stars
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First Half Is Better Than The Second Half
- By Shane C on 2023-11-07
Written by: Don Winslow
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The Dawn Patrol
- Written by: Don Winslow
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 44
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 38
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Story4 out of 5 stars 38
Every morning Boone Daniels is out with the Dawn Patrol: four men and one woman as single-minded about surfing as he is, or nearly. They have real jobs; Boone works as a P.I. just enough to keep himself in fish tacos and in the water. But Boone is also obsessed with the unsolved case of a young girl named Rain who was abducted while he was with the San Diego police.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic read!
- By Blair J Lindsay on 2018-09-28
Written by: Don Winslow
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The Force
- A Novel
- Written by: Don Winslow
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 81
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 72
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 70
All Denny Malone wants is to be a good cop. He is the "King of Manhattan North", a highly decorated NYPD detective sergeant and the real leader of "Da Force". Malone and his crew are the smartest, the toughest, the quickest, the bravest, and the baddest - an elite special unit given carte blanche to fight gangs, drugs, and guns. Every day and every night for the 18 years he's spent on the job, Malone has served on the front lines, witnessing the hurt, the dead, the victims, the perps.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Stick with
- By Rgjenks on 2017-12-28
Written by: Don Winslow
-
City on Fire
- A Novel
- Written by: Don Winslow
- Narrated by: Ari Fliakos
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 82
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 72
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 71
Two criminal empires together control all of New England. Until a beautiful woman comes between the Irish and the Italians, launching a war that will see them kill each other, destroy an alliance, and set a city on fire. Danny Ryan yearns for a more “legit” life and a place in the sun. But as the bloody conflict stacks body on body and brother turns against brother, Danny has to rise above himself.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Ok
- By Lisa on 2023-07-09
Written by: Don Winslow
-
The Power of the Dog
- Written by: Don Winslow
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 20 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 125
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 112
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 114
This explosive novel of the drug trade takes you deep inside a world riddled with corruption, betrayal, and bloody revenge. From the streets of New York City to Mexico City and Tijuana to the jungles of Central America, this is the war on drugs like you've never seen it.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
not great
- By Bob Carron on 2019-05-30
Written by: Don Winslow
-
The Winter of Frankie Machine
- Written by: Don Winslow
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 31
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 31
Frank Machianno is a late-middle-aged ex-surf bum who runs a bait shack on the San Diego waterfront. An affable Italian with a love of people and life, he's a stand-up businessman, devoted father, and a beloved fixture in the community. He's also a hit man - specifically, a retired hit man. Back in the day when he was one of the most feared members of the West Coast Mafia, he was known as Frankie Machine.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
My favorite Don Winslow book so far!
- By Gregory Smart on 2023-02-22
Written by: Don Winslow
-
Broken
- Written by: Don Winslow
- Narrated by: Ray Porter, Kaleo Griffith
- Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 47
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 40
In six intense short novels connected by the themes of crime, corruption, vengeance, justice, loss, betrayal, guilt, and redemption, Broken is number-one international best seller Don Winslow at his nerve-shattering, heart-stopping, heartbreaking best. In Broken, he creates a world of high-level thieves and low-life crooks, obsessed cops struggling with life on and off the job, private detectives, dope dealers, bounty hunters, and fugitives, the lost souls driving without headlights through the dark night on the American criminal highway.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
First Half Is Better Than The Second Half
- By Shane C on 2023-11-07
Written by: Don Winslow
-
The Dawn Patrol
- Written by: Don Winslow
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 44
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 38
Every morning Boone Daniels is out with the Dawn Patrol: four men and one woman as single-minded about surfing as he is, or nearly. They have real jobs; Boone works as a P.I. just enough to keep himself in fish tacos and in the water. But Boone is also obsessed with the unsolved case of a young girl named Rain who was abducted while he was with the San Diego police.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fantastic read!
- By Blair J Lindsay on 2018-09-28
Written by: Don Winslow
-
The Force
- A Novel
- Written by: Don Winslow
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 81
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 72
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 70
All Denny Malone wants is to be a good cop. He is the "King of Manhattan North", a highly decorated NYPD detective sergeant and the real leader of "Da Force". Malone and his crew are the smartest, the toughest, the quickest, the bravest, and the baddest - an elite special unit given carte blanche to fight gangs, drugs, and guns. Every day and every night for the 18 years he's spent on the job, Malone has served on the front lines, witnessing the hurt, the dead, the victims, the perps.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Stick with
- By Rgjenks on 2017-12-28
Written by: Don Winslow
Publisher's Summary
Published to coincide with the release of Academy Award-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone's major film of Savages from Universal Pictures in July 2012 - starring John Travolta, Blake Lively, Benecio Del Toro, Uma Thurman, Emile Hirsch, Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Johnson, and Salma Hayek - this is the much-anticipated prequel to Don Winslow's acclaimed New York Times best seller.
In Savages, Don Winslow introduced Ben and Chon, twentysomething best friends who risk everything to save the girl they both love, O. Among the most celebrated literary thrillers in recent memory, Savages was a Top 10 Book of 2010 selection by Janet Maslin in The New York Times and Stephen King in Entertainment Weekly as well as Sarah Weinman in the Los Angeles Times and publications around the world.
Now, in his high-octane prequel, Winslow reaches back in time to tell the story of how Ben, Chon, and O became the people they are. Spanning from 1960s Southern California to the recent past, it is a tale of family in all its forms - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, friends and lovers. As the younger generation does battle with a cabal of drug dealers and crooked cops, they come to learn that their future is inextricably linked with their parents' history. A series of breakneck twists and turns puts the two generations on a collision course, culminating in a stunning showdown that will ultimately force Ben, Chon, and O to choose between their real families and their love for each other.
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What listeners say about The Kings of Cool
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Janice
- 2021-05-21
First book from D. Winslow
The story is absolutely amazing. Keeps you hook the whole way through non stop! Cannot wait to do Savages.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2020-06-29
just perfect
intriguing characters, all flawed yet sympathetic, great plot and of course commentary on The War on Drugs.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Darwin8u
- 2017-09-28
The truth always come home...
I actually preferred Winslow's 'Kings of Cool' to Savages. Both are slick and sexy Southern California crime novels, but KoC (the prequel to Savages) is structurally a more complicated novel. The backstory on the genesis of the Savages/Kings of Cool was interesting and allowed Winslow to explore the rise and changes in Southern California drug culture. And, I know. I know. Steven King LOVED Savages. What's my problem then? It might just be me. I just found both Savages and Kings of Cool to be a little too slick and superficial. It was MTV it wasn't jazz. It hit all the notes and technically hit them well, but I just wasn't changed or altered by the books.
Again, this goes back to judging these books using the knowledge that Winslow CAN write 'The Cartel' and 'The Power of the Dog'. These seem like the product of a skilled crime writer who knows exactly what he's doing, but is mailing it in. Or, perhaps, not mailing it in, but softening the edges and polishing it to a point it is shell with no heart. It seems like a well-designed Apple product. Slick, pretty, sexy even, but... some grit or friction is missing. But again, I find myself over criticizing it because I KNOW the powerful writing Winslow CAN produce. Perhaps, it is my problem and it is an expectation problem. As cotton candy, this stuff is great. As a book that can easily transfer to celluloid, this book is perfect. Hell, Oliver Stone MADE Savages into a movie and the movie made money.
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17 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Joanne
- 2012-07-01
Terrific entertainment
I'm a fan of Don Winslow's SoCal books and this story is not only a fantastic prequel to "Savages" (please produce an Audible version of this book with the incomparable Holter Graham as narrator) but a great source of context for the others. The "Kings of Cool" is fast-paced, extremely well-performed and hard to put down. I loved learning more about O, Ben and Chon. I think the book can stand on its own for those who haven't read "Savages" or listened to/read Mr. Winslow's other SoCal books but if you have the chance to read some of these books first, it might make your experience more enjoyable. As for me, I'm about to listen to "The Gentleman's Hour" again - and can hardly wait.
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10 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Lauren
- 2013-01-15
Prequel Not As Good As Sequel
I didn't like this prequel to Savages. I feel like I had a better understanding of the characters had I not listened to The Kings of Cool. The story was really complicated and there were a ton of characters that I never really got a handle on...in other words it sort of just went in one ear and out the other.
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Greg Wilson
- 2012-07-23
Fun but...
Really enjoyed the fun story mostly because of Holter Grahams delivery. My objection was that the book read like a screen play with over 300 chapter markers including scene setups. Seems a bit lazy on Winslow's part as if he didn't want to do a rewrite for the movie.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Christina Bergling
- 2017-07-08
Disappointing
This book did not live up to Savages. The audio book reader was also a bit too Shatner for me. Staccato rhythm and dramatic pauses until the emphasis lost all meaning.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- My Name
- 2012-08-23
Fascinating on multiple levels
This prequel to Winslow's "Savages" provides a lot of context and answers many questions that come up in Savages. It's a complicated story, but ultimately worth the effort and I think there is plenty of material for Winslow to produce a third volume in this series.
The book is also interesting because it makes the case that the change from the a drug culture based on marijuana (mellow, working on a groovy thing, Woodstock’) to a drug culture based on cocaine (intensity, violence, and the potential to make big money, Altamont) is a metaphor for a larger change in American society.
I liked Michael Kramer’s performance in “Savages” better than Holter Graham’s performance in “Kings of Cool.” They are both really good, but Kramer brings an edge and attitude to his interpretation that better supports the text.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jeff Flemister
- 2015-04-18
I'm all into Don Winslow
So many twists! awesome narration... The best one by him for me so far- will purchase more!
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Dan Routh
- 2012-08-01
Excellent
What made the experience of listening to The Kings of Cool the most enjoyable?
Started a little slow and I wasn't sure I was going to finish it. It jumped around a lot but it turned out to be an excellent listen. I will listen to it again latter on.
Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?
Yes but it jumped around a lot
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Drew (@drewsant)
- 2018-04-25
Interesting as always
‘The Kings of Cool’ is vintage Don Winslow. He offers great insights into his characters with deep intriguing plots with a few twists along the way. A thought provoking and well thought out story that keeps you engaged (more suspense than a thriller), this book takes you through 30 years of So Cal life.
The narrator does a good job with all of the characters, bringing them to life and differentiating between them very well.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Kenneth Sakoda
- 2012-09-10
Not a waste of time
Is there anything you would change about this book?
The author tries way too hard to be "cool". Not a bad read once you get over his too cool language.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Favorite Character is Chon. He's a do-er more than a talker.
What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?
The performance was just OK. It didn't seem to fit with the too cool language.
Did The Kings of Cool inspire you to do anything?
Not really.
Any additional comments?
I think the movie will be better than the book.
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2 people found this helpful